


The Scenery

by Frankenby



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Awkwardness, Brotherly Love, First Kiss, For a Friend, Future, I also don’t know British sayings, I can’t write accents, I’m so sorry I’m American, Love Confessions, M/M, Multi, Nostalgia, Polyamory, PunkDragons (background), Spoilers, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:49:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22028110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frankenby/pseuds/Frankenby
Summary: “Kiss me,” Victor hadn’t entirely meant to say that. He wanted to say it, but he had intended to suggest or ask rather than suddenly command. Hop blinked a few times, but his expression remained the same. “That is if you want to. I meant to say... well... I was going to ask you to do it. What I mean is, I’d really like to kiss.”*“Do... do I want to?” Hop’s question was a bit delayed, and he looked like he was in shock. “Obviously I do, but...”A pause.“Please do it, then,” Victor said quickly.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan/Nezu | Piers, Hop/Masaru | Victor
Comments: 6
Kudos: 168





	The Scenery

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kacey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kacey/gifts).



> I wanted to write a fanfiction, so I bugged my friend Kacey into helping me make up a prompt. My friend isn’t the best with prompts, but I managed to get them to give me this, “Hop/Victor Bromance to Romance.” So, this is what I wrote! I hope it’s good! If you guys have any prompts/requests, I’d love to hear them! My tumblr is listed on my profile if you’d prefer to ask me there. Keep in mind, I only write LGBTQ+ stuff, though.

Victor had barely taken a single step out of the train station before he was trapped in a hug that had nearly knocked the wind out of him. Hop was always excited to see Victor, but their last visit was almost a year ago.

“Victor!” The Champion’s former rival had certainly exceeded him in height. When he was thirteen—around the time the two of them participated in the gym challenge—Hop’s height was 5’2. His height increased steadily as time passed, until he reached fifteen, when he went through a rather large growth spurt. He was now twenty years old and 6’4. Leon had feigned disappointment at the fact that his little brother was taller than him, and Hop was honored to be recognized as the tallest person in Postwick and Wedgehurst.* With his height came quite a bit of physical strength. Although he was lanky, Hop had no problem sweeping Victor off his feet and spinning him around, his arms still locked firmly around him.

“Hello, Hop,” Victor groaned. “Can’t breathe.”

“Oh, I missed you, too, mate,” Hop grinned impishly,* and took Victor’s over exaggerated sounds of being suffocated by his embrace as an invitation to hug him tighter. Victor patted his friend’s back rather firmly before he decided to let him go. “It’s good to see you again.” 

“I’m surprised you stopped growing,” Victor tried to smooth his clothes, which had been wrinkled by Hop’s bewear hug.

“Aw,” Hop pouted sarcastically, then ruffled Victor’s hair. “Imagine being 5’4.”*

“Was is your plan to make me look like a mess before I go and see my mum?” 

“No, but I ‘spose I ought to make you look like a proper mess if you’re already gonna look like one,” Before Victor could ask what Hop meant, the taller man’s fingers were at his sides, following erratic patterns all over his midsection, and Victor was squirming and shrieking at a frequency that nearly hurt Hops ears.

“Arceus! Hop, stop it!” Hop withdrew his hands at Victor’s pleas, and Victor was left breathless and grinning after the three second long assault on his rib cage. “What is with you today? Do you have to embarrass me in every way possible?”

Victor wasn’t angry. He was smiling still, and there was barely a trace of annoyance in his voice.

“Obviously,” Hop said. “I’m still your rival, it’s basically my duty.”

“I feel like you’ve been misinformed as to what that title entails.”

“I missed you,” Hop said again.

“Yeah, well, you’re making me want to leave as soon as possible. Actually, the train hasn’t left yet—“ Victor had taken a few steps towards the train station door, but Hop picked him up with one arm at his back and the other under his knees. Victor’s arms locked around Hop’s neck instinctively as he made a sound of surprise.

“Nah, I think I can convince you otherwise,” Hop had not realized that he and Victor’s faces were inches apart. Well, maybe he did, but it made Victor’s face and neck feel extremely hot. Still, it was nice. He had missed Hop, too.

“Hop... I—“ Victor wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say, and he didn’t have the chance to find out.

“Hey, isn’t that they champion?” Someone had asked, which of course caused people to murmur. Victor had received a few curious glances, but no one had approached him yet. He attributed that to the fact that he wasn’t wearing his gym uniform and instead wore a hat that covered his hair and dark sunglasses, which he had taken off as he stepped off the train. Maybe he didn’t want anyone to recognize him. It was sort of exhausting being bombarded with merchandise and books to sign, questions, and eager people who desperately wanted a photo with him. 

“Run,” Hop said after he set Victor back on his feet and grabbed him by the hand. Being the brother of the previous Champion, the brother-in-law of a beloved gym leader and a famous singer*, as well as the best friend of the current Champion, he understood that people could tire from fame, even if they did love their fans. So the two of them raced down route one before anyone could approach them.

“Thanks,” Victor said once they reach Postwick, but Hop seemed to have no intention of stopping once they reached Victor’s house. “What are we doing?”

“It’s been awhile since you visited the Slumbering Weald, yeah?” Hop has slowed down. His fingers were still intertwined with Victor’s. “Let’s go there for a bit.”

“Mum’s expecting me,” Victor protested.

“Well, you can go ahead and come find me later, then,” Hop stopped walking, then took his hand away and placed both in the pockets of his jeans. ”Or I’ll come see your mum with you, if you want.”

“What do you even want to do there?” Victor asked, and Hop only shrugged. “Well, mum’ll be fine waiting a few more minutes.”

“Come on, then,” Hop motioned for Victor to follow him down the path. 

The trees lining it were growing thicker, and the sun was almost completely obscured within a minute or two of walking. The fog seemed thicker than Victor remembered, but Hop moved forward without much trouble. It wasn’t until Victor nearly tripped—he had fallen a foot or two behind Hop as well—that Hop held out his arm.

“Here,” Hop offered his arm, and Victor took it. “It would be awful if you injured yourself, especially since the beginning of the Gym Challenge is approaching soon.”

“That sounds vaguely threatening.”

“Does it?” Hop feigned offense. “You really think that your best friend since childhood would ever do something to hurt you? On a completely unrelated note, who would the new Champion be if the current one was... unable to rule due to a tragic accident?”

“Oh, shush,” Victor would have shoved him if he was sure he could maneuver through the forest alone. “Why’s the fog so thick here?”

“Some days it’s worse than others,” Hop said. “I come here often, so I know my way around pretty well.”

“Why’s that?” Victor asked.

“Hm?”

“Why do you come here often?” 

“Oh,” Hop pauses for a moment. Victor turned to look at him, but he was facing straight ahead. “The scenery.”

A pause.

“So do you think your seven year streak will be put to an end this year?” Hop had changed the subject, and Victor indulged him.

“Who knows? I’ve faced some pretty tough challengers. Then there’s Raihan, our matches are always pretty close,” Victor said.

“Well, he was my brother’s greatest rival.”

“Well, he isn’t my greatest rival,” Victor shrugged.

“Marnie, then?”

“No.”

“Bede?”

“Nope.”

“Well, I don’t know, then. Who are your other rivals?” Hop was genuinely oblivious. For Arceus’s sake.

“You,” Victor scoffed. “I was talking about you.”

“We haven’t battled in years, though.” That wasn’t really intentional, but Hop figured that—given how often Victor had to battle others—that he’d need a break once in awhile. Besides, he found himself content just being around Victor, especially since their visits in person had grown seldom. 

“Doesn’t matter. You’re my greatest rival. We battled on a regular basis, and you always urged me to become stronger. You’re the reason I made progress, you are the reason I wanted to become a trainer to begin with. I wasn’t even planning on being a trainer, but that first battle we had... seeing you radiating with passion and excitement, your connection with your pokèmon and... our connection... all of it made me want to become a trainer. It made me want to be better.” Victor’s throat tightened as Hop turned to meet his eyes.

“We’re... here,” Hop said. Victor had hardly noticed the fog had lifted as the sun streamed in through a large gap in the trees where the river was. The crumbling arch stood before them, and Victor was suddenly caressed by a sweet, familiar feeling. 

“I meant what I said. I don’t have a reason to flatter you, you know.”

“I know you did,” Hop pulled his hand away. “Thanks, mate.”

“Why are we here again?” Victor asked, then mocked Hop’s earlier tone. “The scenery?”

“We have history here, Vic,” Hop sat down on the ancient steps and looked at the Champion. “Sit down.”

Victor did as Hop asked, and the taller boy put an arm around him. This area had hardly changed at all. It was still peaceful and dreamlike. The memories he held of this place were still so vivid, but one in particular stood out to him. One of a purple haired boy fearlessly soothing a legendary creature possessed with unstable power. Victor could almost see the scene playing out in his head. The sweetness in Hop’s voice, the relief that cooled Victor like a rush of wind when he saw him safe.

“You alright, mate?” Hop asked. Victor have no indication that he heard what Hop said, even when he put an arm around him. “Victor?”

Victor slowly turned his head in Hop’s direction. He was so different now. His hair had grown even more unruly over the years. It was a bit longer now, too. Sometimes his face was clean shaven, but other times—times like now—he chose not to shave. He only ever allowed himself to grow stubble before deciding to shave it after a few weeks. He had told Victor that himself. He said he sometimes just didn’t feel like shaving. His eyes were still the same, though; bright glistening amber that never failed to make Victor feel light. He still had the same sincere and eager grin, too. Victor just wanted to look at him for awhile and think, but Hop was beginning to look genuinely concerned.

“Victor?” He repeated.

“Kiss me,” Victor hadn’t entirely meant to say that. He wanted to say it, but he had intended to suggest or ask rather than suddenly command. Hop blinked a few times, but his expression remained the same. “That is if you want to. I meant to say... well... I was going to ask you to do it. What I mean is, I’d really like to kiss.”*

“Do... do I want to?” Hop’s question was a bit delayed, and he looked like he was in shock. “Obviously I do, but...”

A pause.

“Please do it, then,” Victor said quickly.

“I... have never kissed anyone before... I don’t know...”

“Neither have I,” Victor confessed. “Just... do what I do, I guess.”

Victor tilted his head to the right a bit, and Hop impulsively tilted his to the left.

“Other way...” Victor said softly.

“Right,” Hop tilted his head the other way. The two of them stayed likely that for a moment, neither of them were sure what to do. They were both startled by the sound of an approaching voice calling their names. They both looked in the directions opposite of one another, and didn’t say anything until the person searching for them arrived.

“Thought you two’d be here,” Leon was following behind his Charizard, who undoubtedly lead the way through the slumbering weald. Even though Raihan often met with Victor on the battlefield, Leon and Piers hadn’t seen him in awhile, either; they decided to line up their next visit to Postwick, which just so happened to be this one. 

“Hello, Leon,” Victor’s voice almost sounded strangled, but Leon didn’t say anything about it. Maybe he didn’t notice. No, that was wishful thinking. He had tilted his head and grimaced at the sound

“Your mum asked me to come and look for you. She’s already over at our place for the barbecue, and mum said she thought she saw you two coming up route one awhile ago. What’re you doing here?” 

“Enjoying the scenery,” Victor had cleared his throat. “We should probably go, though.”

“Right,” The two of them stood, still avoiding looking at one another as if the meeting of their eyes would trigger an explosion. Victor walked a bit ahead, with Charizard leading them. The flame on it’s tail made it a bit easier to see, so he could walk fine on his own.

“What’s going on?” Leon asked his brother in a hushed voice.

“Nothing,” Hop immediately decides he wanted to tell Leon what happened as the word left his mouth. “I’ll... tell you later. In private.”

“Right,” Leon put an arm around Hop and patted his shoulder. “So, how’ve you been, Vic?”

Victor made an ambiguous sound, and Leon laughed.

“Well, that sounds about right. You’ve been doing well as Champion, from what I’ve seen, though.”

“Don’t you think Raihan would be upset knowing you’re congratulating the only thing standing in the way of being Champion?” Hop asked.

“No, he loves every minute of his battles with Victor, even when he loses them. Besides, I stood in the way of him becoming Champion for a long time, and he married me,” Leon said.

“Well, he’s not going to marry me,” Victor practically hissed the words.

“Ten year old Victor would be aghast at your words,” Hop grinned as Victor turned around, looking utterly betrayed.

“I had a crush on him for like a month!” Victor started walking beside Hop, but only so he could elbow him.

“No way, it was definitely longer than that,” Hop shook his head. “You had a poster of him in your room, I remember.”

“Like you didn’t have the hots for Piers when you were thirteen!” Victor pointed an accusatory finger at him.

“I never had a poster of him in my room, though,” Hop shrugged, and Victor was practically radiating embarrassment.

“Why are we talking about having childhood crushes on your brother’s husbands?” Victor covered his face with his hands.

“Oh, I don’t mind. I of all people ought to understand the appeal. Besides, I bother my brother about crushing on Piers all the time,” Despite being taller than Hop, Leon still ruffled his brother’s hair. ”By the way, Hop. Can you help me look for my sweatbands inside once we get back?”

“You’ve lost them?” Hop asked. The fog was beginning to clear, and they could see the gap in the trees that lead out of the Slumbering Weald.

“Yep. Thought you might know where to look for them,” Leon winked at him. Right. He still needed to talk to Leon.

“Alright,” Hop let out a long sigh as they passed the last few trees and through the gate into Postwick. Their mothers, Piers, and Raihan were waiting outside for them with the table already set. Victor’s mom ran to meet her son and immediately wrapped her arms around her, voicing her pride and adoration. 

“Hop and I’ll be right out,” Leon told the others as they went inside. He shut the door behind them, then headed for the kitchen. Leon leaned against the counter, and Hop sat at the dining room table.* “So, what’s up?”

“Complicated,” Hop said after a pause. “Actually... it’s not really that complicated.”

Leon waited for him to continue.

“Well... Victor and I almost kissed each other a little while ago?”

“What?” Leon nearly jolted in surprise. “Wait, no. Tell me more about what happened.”

“Well, we were in the Slumbering Weald, and he was just kinda... staring. Then he sort of asked me to kiss him. I told him I wanted to, but... we didn’t really know what to do?”

“It’s not that hard, you basically just put your mouths together,” Leon said.

“Well, obviously!” Hop rolled his eyes. “We just... froze. Neither of us made the first move. Then you showed up.”

“Arceus, I interrupted it! I’m so sorry! Still, I called it.” 

“Arceus, I really don’t wanna hear it, Lee,” Hop placed his forehead on the table. “What if he changed his mind? We’ve been best friends for, like, twenty years, what if this ruins it? I’m an adult man with teenage drama! Oh, Arceus, I don’t know what to do!”

“You like him, don’t you? As in, you’re attracted to him?” Leon asked.

“Yeah. I think I have been for awhile,” Hop admitted softly.

“Well, I doubt Victor would end your friendship over this, and it sounds like he likes you, too. I wouldn’t ask someone I didn’t like to kiss me. You’ve got nothing to lose by talking to him.”

“You’re right. I’m probably overthinking this,” Hop took a deep breath, then lifted his head from the table. “I think I’m good now.”

“Good,” Leon patted Hop on the back, then the two of them went back into the front yard.

“They were on your bedside table, weren’t they?” Piers said as soon as Leon walked through the door.

“What was?” Leon asked.

“Oh, Arceus. Your sweatbands, what else?” Piers pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Oh! Yeah, they were.”

“Right where I told you I put them after I’d taken them out of your bag,” Piers threw his hands up and sighed.

“Sorry, love,” Leon wrapped his arms around Piers’s waist and whispered something in his ear. Piers rolled his eyes, then pushed himself away. 

“I think I’d sooner believe you wanted to go the Slumbering Weald for the scenery than I believed you were looking for Leon’s sweatbands,” Victor was right behind Hop, whispering in his left ear with his a hand on each of his shoulders. Hop tried to mask the shiver Victor caused while turning to face him. “What were you doing.”

“Why don’t you believe us?” Hop asked sheepishly. He knew he’d been caught, so he wasn’t really trying to appear innocent anymore.

“My suspicion has something to do with the way those two are staring at us,” Victor’s eyes darted momentarily in the direction of Raihan and Leon. Hop glanced at them as well. They were indeed staring at them while Piers looked in the complete opposite direction as his husbands.*

“We should talk later,” Hop said. “At your place, if that’s alright? I just doubt we’ll get much privacy with them around.”

“Sure.”

The barbecue mainly consisted of Victor’s mother and Hop and Leon’s mother asking them all various questions throughout dinner that pertained to their lives, as curious parents do. Although the conversations were rather generic, it was still good to be together. Hop was sure he would have enjoyed it far more if he wasn’t overwhelming anxious about the conversation he was going to have with Victor. There wasn’t anything in specific he was worried about, and that only worried him more. He had no idea what was going to happen. When the barbecue ended, Leon, Raihan and Piers insisted on cleaning up while Hop and Victor spent some time together. When their mothers offered to help, they said it would be greatly appreciated, but they were quite pushy about Hop and Victor leaving. Victor had tugged on Hop’s sleeve and motioned for him to follow him as everyone started to put everything away.

And so he did.

The silent walk to Victor’s house was excruciatingly awkward. No one said a word until they were both sitting on the floor of Victor’s room. Hop’s legs were crossed, and Victor was directly across from him on his knees.

“So...” Hop was surprised that he was the first one to speak.

“So...” Victor echoed. “What were you guys actually doing.”

“Talking,” Hop said, and Victor nodded, urging him to go on. “About you.”

“I figured.”

“You know.”

“Yeah,” Much to Hop’s surprise, Victor grinned. “I do.”

A pause. Hop’s eyes were fixed on the ground now, his face and neck were burning.

“I’m sorry if I... threw you into a situation you didn’t want to be in earlier,” Victor said softly. “you can probably tell that I have feelings for you. Romantic ones.”

“Well, I do, too! Have feelings for you, I mean. Romantic ones, as well,” Hop assured him rather quickly, and Victor burst into a fit of contagious laughter.

“Why is this so awkward?” Victor asked. “I feel like it doesn’t have to be.”

“I know,” Hop groaned. “I wish I knew how to make it less awkward.”

“Maybe we could try to kiss again?” Victor suggested.

“You really want to kiss me, don’t you?” 

“Well, yeah,” Victor swatted Hop’s arm as he grinned. “I just told you I had feelings for you.”

“Well, let’s try again and hope no one walks in this time.”

Victor didn’t even hesitate. He put his hand on the back of Hop’s head and brought their lips together. It was a bit of what they had expected and a bit of what they hadn’t. Neither of them had ever kissed before, and it was obvious. They moved their lips together for a moment, both of their hearts were racing as adrenaline made the blood in their veins buzz. It made them both feel significantly more awkward than they had a moment ago, but there was something pleasant about the closeness, and what the kiss meant. They had feelings for one another, and those feelings were returned. 

“Good?” Hop asked when they pulled away.

“Good,” Victor nodded. “But weird.”

“Yeah,” Hop agreed. “But we’ll get better at it if we practice.”

“For Arceus’s sake,” Victor grabbed a pillow from his bed arms threw it at him. 

“I’m serious,” Hop presses his face into the pillow, then laid himself out on the floor. Victor laid beside them, and the laid facing one another with their heads resting on the same pillow.

“What are we? And why are we laying on the floor?” Victor put an arm around Hop’s waist, and Hop did the same in return. 

“I’m not sure. That answer applies to both questions,” Hop pressed his forehead to Victor’s. “We’re still best friends, aren’t we?”

“You’re supposed to be best friends with the person you’re romantically involved with, aren’t you?” 

“Are we romantically involved?” Hop asked. Victor brought their lips together again. They pecked one another on the lips a few times until Victor sighed against him and buried his face in Hop’s neck.

“I would like to be,” He answered.

“So would I.”

“Good.”

Hop ran one of his hands through Victor’s hair, and he hummed.

“How long have you known that you had feelings for me?” Victor asked.

“I’ve known since your last visit. Something about the way you smiled at me when you got on the train to leave. It just.. hit me.”

“That explains why you’ve been so insistent on touching me today,” Victor laughed softly and pulled a bit away from Hop to put a hand against his face. “I’ve known since we were thirteen. Watching you soothe an upset legendary Pokémon was... sweet. I remember really wanting to kiss you that day.”

“Well, that explains what happened in the Slumbering Weald.”

“I didn’t even intend on telling you to kiss me. It was completely involuntary, I have no idea what happened. Maybe I was caught up in everything,” Victor sighed.

“Or maybe it was...” Hop paused for dramatic effect. “The scenery.”

“Oh my Arceus,” Victor scoffed. “What do you really do in the Slumbering Weald. You never actually told me.”

“Well, I study Pokémon and stuff, but... it was important to our journey as trainers, you know. It makes me happy, being there when I miss you.”

“That’s actually extremely sweet. It’s kind of sappy, but I can live with that, especially if you’re the one talking. Maybe you can talk Sonia into letting you go up to Wyndon for awhile so you can spend some more time with me. I have some free time, but it’s not always enough of an opportunity to take a train or flying taxi to Postwick, you know, so we’ll be able to hang out some.”

“I haven’t taken a vacation in awhile. She’ll probably let me do it,” Hop said.

“Maybe you could convince her by telling her how beautiful the scenery in Wyndon is.”

**Author's Note:**

> *Leon had feigned disappointment at the fact that his little brother was taller than him, and Hop was honored to be recognized as the tallest person in Postwick and Wedgehurst: Of course, when Raihan visits, he’s no longer the tallest, but it doesn’t count since Raihan doesn’t actually live there.
> 
> *Hop grinned impishly: I was tempted to write “impidimpishly” but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
> 
> *“Imagine being 5’4.”: One of my teachers says ‘imagine being (insert trait of person he’s talking about)’ rather frequently, so Hop does, too, now.
> 
> *Being the brother of the previous Champion, the brother-in-law of a beloved gym leader and a famous singer: I ship PunkDragons. Leon/Raihan/Piers is cute.
> 
> *Leon leaned against the counter, and Hop sat at the dining room table: I sure hope these guys have a dining room table in their kitchen because it’s 12:39 AM and I don’t feel like fact checking at the moment.
> 
> *They were indeed staring at them while Piers looked in the complete opposite direction as his husbands: Raihan and Leon are just like, “Oh my Arceus, are they finally gonna get together?” and Piers is like, “Oh my Arceus, stop looking at them.”


End file.
